Throughout the history of MMA, when an athlete is in need of a “fresh start,” the most common change made is to adjust weight classes – be it up or down.

Longtime UFC middleweight-turned-welterweight Rousimar Palhares is following that same direction, as on Wednesday he will compete at 170 pounds for the first time when he takes on Mike Pierce at UFC Fight Night 29.

Palhares (14-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) fought his first 19 professional bouts in the middleweight division, but after a recent string of back-to-back knockout losses, “Toquinho” decided it was time to shake things up, and he immediately felt the effects.

“I changed my training camp, I changed my team, I changed everything,” Palhares told MMAjunkie.com Radio through an interpreter. “Everything changes. I feel faster, I feel like I have more endurance and even stronger.”

With the topic of weight cutting in MMA being a controversial one due to the recent death of a Brazilian fighter, it’s natural for people to question whether or not Palhares is dropping the weight in a healthy matter.

Walking around at a muscle-loaded 5-foot-8, Palhares doesn’t look like he has 15 pounds to drop from his frame. However, he claims to have been thinking about the switch in divisions for some time now and has taken the proper steps to ensure everything has been done correctly.

“I already thought about it, but I didn’t have the structure around me to do it,” Palhares said. “I think all the fighters better start worrying more about their health and look for professionals who will help them with the hydration phase better.”

Despite competing in his home country of Brazil, the UFC didn’t hand Palhares matchup many would look at as favorable.

The Wednesday night showdown with Pierce (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes place at Jose Correa Arena in Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and airs on FOX Sports 1. And while it might seem to be a stylistical nightmare for Palhares on paper, the fighter isn’t concerning himself with the opinion of the public.

While fans of the sport may have seen Palhares step into the octagon 11 times before, he is sure his 12th appearance is going to be a memorable one that reintroduces him to the audience as a “new” fighter.

“Everyone must be prepared, because they will see a new Rousimar Palhares.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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